FryBoy
New member
I'm getting over a cold or something that I caught from DW, so I'm not terribly hungry. To make matters worse, I broke a tooth several days ago, had root canal, and now have a temporary cap on it, and so I can't really eat anything hard or stringy (even chicken gets caught in it).
So, for dinner tonight I made our favorite pea soup, which appears below. The recipe is also attached in a printable format.
Note that this soup can be vegetarian if you omit the ham hocks (which I did this time on account of my tooth), or vegan if you also substitute a little more olive oil for the butter. It's great either way.
Split Pea Soup
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
2 celery stalks, sliced
1 large onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1 teaspoon ground cumin
10 cups chicken stock, water, or combination
2 smoked ham hocks or 1 ham bone (optional)
2 medium potatoes, diced
1 bay leaf
¼ teaspoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 pound dried green or yellow split peas
fresh ground pepper to taste
salt to taste
1. In a 6½- to 8-quart stockpot, melt butter in olive oil; add carrots, celery and onion and saute over medium heat until softened.
2. Add garlic and cumin and cook for one minute more.
3. Add the stock and/or water, ham hocks or ham bone (if using), potatoes, bay leaf, thyme, and soy sauce, and turn heat to high.
4. Rinse peas and pick them over to remove any foreign matter, then add to pot. Bring to boil, lower heat to simmer, and continue cooking, partially covered, until the peas are very tender and falling apart, about 90 minutes.
5. Remove the bay leaf and discard; remove ham hocks or ham bone, shred any meat, discarding any gristle or fat, and set aside.
6. If desired, puree the soup in a food processor, food mill, or blender, or with an immersion blender (note: if soup is cooked long enough, this may not be necessary).
7. Return shredded ham to pot; add salt and pepper to taste; serve hot (note: pea soup is often better the next day).
Serves 6 to 8.
So, for dinner tonight I made our favorite pea soup, which appears below. The recipe is also attached in a printable format.
Note that this soup can be vegetarian if you omit the ham hocks (which I did this time on account of my tooth), or vegan if you also substitute a little more olive oil for the butter. It's great either way.
Split Pea Soup
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
2 celery stalks, sliced
1 large onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1 teaspoon ground cumin
10 cups chicken stock, water, or combination
2 smoked ham hocks or 1 ham bone (optional)
2 medium potatoes, diced
1 bay leaf
¼ teaspoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 pound dried green or yellow split peas
fresh ground pepper to taste
salt to taste
1. In a 6½- to 8-quart stockpot, melt butter in olive oil; add carrots, celery and onion and saute over medium heat until softened.
2. Add garlic and cumin and cook for one minute more.
3. Add the stock and/or water, ham hocks or ham bone (if using), potatoes, bay leaf, thyme, and soy sauce, and turn heat to high.
4. Rinse peas and pick them over to remove any foreign matter, then add to pot. Bring to boil, lower heat to simmer, and continue cooking, partially covered, until the peas are very tender and falling apart, about 90 minutes.
5. Remove the bay leaf and discard; remove ham hocks or ham bone, shred any meat, discarding any gristle or fat, and set aside.
6. If desired, puree the soup in a food processor, food mill, or blender, or with an immersion blender (note: if soup is cooked long enough, this may not be necessary).
7. Return shredded ham to pot; add salt and pepper to taste; serve hot (note: pea soup is often better the next day).
Serves 6 to 8.